Girl with aggressive cancer needs help

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Ilona Geldenhuys' 3-year-old daughter Imke is in the fight of her life. Nine months ago, she was diagnosed with stage-4 neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer.

Imke began treatment in her native South Africa, but the family was able to raise over $500,000 for Imke to receive a special immunotherapy treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, one of the few hospitals in the world that successfully treats neuroblastoma. So they moved the family -- including their newborn twin daughters -- to New York.

But when they arrived they got more devastating news: Imke's cancer had returned.

All of the money they had raised went towards Imke's surgery two weeks ago, and the chemotherapy that followed. Now, she will need an additional $585,000 for radiation and the original immunotherapy treatment she came for.

Through social media, Ilona connected with Dena Sherwood of Manalapan, New Jersey. Dena founded an organization called Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation after her son Billy was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2008.

Ilona hopes a miracle will happen in time for Christmas.

Imke just finished chemotherapy and will have three weeks to recover.

Sloan Kettering will begin the radiation or the immunotherapy despite the fact that they have not raised the total $585,000 they need. They've raised about $100,000 so far.

If you would like to help Imke and her family, Dena's foundation has set up a fundraising page. 100 percent of the proceeds will go to Imke's family.